Grandad Almost Dies After Manchester Hospital Blunder

John Buckley, from Worsley, almost died after doctors failed to spot an infection after a routine hip replacement.

In 2009 Mr Buckley had his right hip replaced, but two years later he developed immense pain in the joint and was suffering with a fever. He attended A&E at Salford Royal Hospital where a doctor suspected an infection. However, she was wrongly overruled by a consultant and after a string of other mistakes, Mr Buckley didn’t receive the antibiotics he needed for another five days.

The delay in providing the correct treatment caused the infection to spread to his left hip and left him having to have both joints removed. During the ordeal Mr Buckley’s heart stopped five times and he had to be put into an induced coma for one month. At one point his wife was told that he may only have an hour to live.

Luckily, he pulled through but the ordeal was far from over. The 62 year old was forced to spend more than eight months in hospital while he recovered has said he feels like he’s trapped in a “living nightmare”.

“I had my own business, I loved going fishing, I rode motorbikes – and it’s just all gone. From being a really busy, pretty fit lad, I’m now resigned to a wheelchair.

Sometimes it just puts your head in bits. You get that depressed sometimes and there’s no way out. And I still don’t know how I’m going to be in future.”

Although his right hip has been reconstructed he is still waiting for an operation on the left. However, the long term impact on his mobility remains unknown as the infection also caused damage to his spine – since the mistake was made, Mr Buckley has been confined to a wheelchair.

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has admitted its failings and a medical negligence solicitor has now taken on the case. The hospital’s executive director of Organisational Development and Corporate Affairs, Paul Renshaw, said:

“Salford Royal once again offers its unreserved apologies to Mr Buckley for the standard of treatment he received when he was admitted to the trust in September 2011.

We understand the subsequent effect this has had on Mr Buckley’s life and offer our sincere sympathies.

We immediately recognised, acknowledged and apologised for the fact Mr Buckley’s care was not up to the standard we would normally expect.

We proactively launched an investigation and as part of our policy of being open and honest with patients, we have fully disclosed the findings of our investigation to Mr Buckley, including an action plan to help prevent the likelihood of this happening again and to assure Mr Buckley that lessons have been learnt.